Gut & MicrobiomeGut bacteria change how many calories your body actually absorbs from food
Gut microbes and calorie absorption are the focus of a new Arizona State University study. Researchers built a mathematical model called DAMM (digestion, absorption and microbial metabolism) that tracks how food moves through the digestive tract, how much energy the body absorbs directly, and how gut bacteria process what is left over. The calorie numbers on food labels rely on century-old Atwater values, which ignore the microbial role. In a controlled study, people eating a high-fiber diet absorbed about 116 fewer calories per day than people eating a typical Western diet, and they did not report feeling hungrier. Part of the reason is that microbes ferment fiber into short-chain fatty acids, some of which enter the bloodstream and supply extra energy. The team hopes the model will improve understanding of obesity, diabetes and other metabolic disorders, and could eventually support diets tailored to individual patients. The findings were published in PLOS One.
